At Her 18th | ✓

Seventeenth🌹

The after party was wild, only because my parents had the casino, in one of the hotels the Hidalgos own, exclusive for us. We even had the entire 10th floor all to ourselves for us to rest in after and be as loud as we want to.

The oldies went home. My titas convinced my mom that we'd be safe in the premises of the hotel kay siya pumayag na hayaan kami dito mag overnight nang walang bantay.

"Come on, Isla!" I heard Abby shout at me over the loud music.

She handed me a glass of tequila with salt on its rim and lime wedges on a bowl on her other hand. Tequila agad!?

I winced at the sight of the glass, "Pwede bang san mig light lang?"

"Ano ka ba!" Suway pa niya sa'kin, "Lick, shoot, suck! It's easy!" Tinatawanan lang ako ng mga kaibigan ko dahil nagdadalawang-isip pa talaga ako kung kukunin ko ba ang shot glass o hindi.

I peeked at Kim from behind her who was wild on a stage pole! She had five shots of the tequila Abby was trying to give me right now, which is exactly why I'm contemplating because what if I'll be like that after one shot?

"You won't get drunk after one shot, cous!" Blake's face was all red but surprisingly he was walking steadily towards our table.

"Says you who isn't even supposed to drink."

He scoffed, "We're not even in California. What are they gonna do? Fly over to this country to arrest me?"

"You're being dramatic." Lumapit naman si Vaughn sa amin at inakbayan ako.

"Just do one." His look was practically telling me to trust him.

I sighed in defeat, "Fine."

I glared at the glass in my hand like it was the devil itself.

Just one. I licked the salt on the rim at inisang lunok ang laman ng baso. Naramdaman ko ang init na dumaloy sa lalamunan ko at bago ko pa malasahan ang pait ay sinipsip ko agad ang kalamansi na binigay ni Vaughn sa akin.

"That's our girl!" They cheered and went on with the party.

With Abby leading the whole thing, the party was an unforgettable moment. Though, I expected someone else to be here, considering the name he made for himself before.

I asked him through a text why he was not around, but all he said was that his prime was over. Hindi na nga niya raw matandaan ang sarili niya noon and I wasn't childish enough to convince him to be here if he didn't want to, kaya nag-promise nalang ako sa kaniya na tatawag ako mamaya bago ako matulog.

"Fun fact about your private island," Kimberly's words slurred as she slumped on the couch beside me, "May beach house na nakatayo roon."

She paused for a while and closed her eyes. Akala ko nakatulog na siya pero bigla siyang nagpakawala ng malalim na hininga at nagpatuloy, "The original owners of the island were the de la Vegas, but they suddenly started selling some of their properties. Timing na naghahanap ako ng isla para sa'yo kaya 'yun na ang kinuha ko." She ended with a shrug.

"Kinuha mo?" Biglang sabat ni Sean na nakalapit pala sa amin, "'Di mo naman pera gamit mo ah." Tukso ng huli.

"Manahimik ka ngang bata ka." Inis na bulyaw ni Kim sa kaniya. Lasing pa naman 'to, baka kung anong magawa niya kay Sean. "Alam ko kaya ang sikreto mo kaya 'wag mo akong subukan."

"At meron rin akong alam tungkol sayo." Patol pa nito.

"Nate!" Tawag ko sa pinsan namin na agad rin namang lumapit. "Kailangan na atang magpahinga ni Kim." Ininguso ko ang babaeng nakikipag-away kay Sean.